Men's Basketball

Hilltopper ‘owes’ Elijah Johnson

Western Kentucky's T.J. Price (52) celebrates with teammates after the Sun Belt Conference championship game against Florida International on Monday, March 11, 2013, in Hot Springs, Ark., Monday, March 11, 2013. Western Kentucky won 65-63. Price was named the tournament's most valuable player. WKU will face Kansas University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 22, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo.

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When Western Kentucky University guard Jamal Crook learned that his 16th-seeded Hilltoppers would face top-seeded Kansas University in the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament on Friday in Kansas City, Mo., his mind immediately flashed back to his senior season of high school in Las Vegas.

During the 2007-08 season opener for Durango High, Crook first encountered KU point guard Elijah Johnson in a match-up of the city’s most highly recruited player (Johnson) and highest-rated newcomer (Crook).

At the time, Johnson, a junior at Cheyenne High, was on his way to becoming one of the top point-guard prospects in the nation, and he showed why during his match-up with Crook, scoring 18 points and leading the Desert Shields to a 78-77 overtime victory.

Crook has not forgotten.

“I owe him,” he told the Bowling Green (Ky.) Daily News on Sunday, moments after the match-up was revealed. “I played him in my debut, and they beat us. I’ll remember that game in the back of my head as we go down there and take this ride.”

The ride has been as wild as they come for the Hilltoppers (20-15), who made the field of 68 by winning four games in four days in the Sun Belt Conference’s postseason tournament. WKU finished just 10-10 in conference play during the regular season, but knocked off three schools that finished above them in the standings on consecutive days by a total of seven points to earn a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Although winning the conference tournament guaranteed the ’Toppers a spot in the tourney, WKU coach Ray Harper still seemed thrilled about what his squad had accomplished.

“It’s what you play for,” Harper told the Daily News. “It’s what you work for, to enjoy the whole process. They’re the No. 1 seed for a reason. It’s one of those deals where you’re extremely excited that you’re still playing, and we’ll go play. We’ll see what happens.”

The Hilltoppers are not a typical 16 seed.

In last year’s NCAAs, WKU topped Mississippi Valley State, 59-58, in a first-round game in Dayton, Ohio, before falling to eventual-champion Kentucky, 81-66, in the second round. And this year, the Hilltoppers played four games against tournament teams, including back-to-back battles with Louisville and VCU and two match-ups with Sun Belt champion Middle Tennessee. WKU lost all four games, but such experiences should keep them from being overwhelmed by facing Kansas.

“Great program, great team, big challenge,” Harper told the Daily News. “Bill Self does as good of a job as anyone in the country. But I know our guys will go compete.”

Western Kentucky’s relevance in college basketball is not limited to the recent past. The Hilltoppers own four NCAA Tournament victories since 2008; boast 22 NCAA Tournament berths all-time; have corralled 42 conference championships, which is tied for third most in NCAA history; and are 17th in NCAA history in all-time wins (1,659). In addition, the program has advanced to the Sweet 16 seven times and qualified for the Final Four in 1971 in Houston, where it topped, of all teams, Kansas.

None of that will mean much Friday, when Western Kentucky tries to solve a KU team that won its ninth straight Big 12 regular-season title and rolled to the Big 12 tournament title last weekend. Harper knows enough about the Jayhawks (29-5) to know what his team is up against. But, just as he was last year in the match-up with Kentucky, the second-year WKU coach who guided the team to the tournament as the interim head coach a season ago is fired up for the opportunity to take a shot at one of the nation’s top teams.

“(Jeff) Withey (is) obviously one of the top big guys in the country,” Harper told the Daily News. “(Ben) McLemore (is) one of the premier freshman players in the country. Their point guard (Johnson) … I remember the game in particular at Iowa State, where he went for about 40. They’re just a very talented team. We know what kind of challenge it’ll be. There’s never been a 16 to beat a 1, so let’s go play.”

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Comments

'Hawks, let's show them no mercy from this point on. No more softies, no more missing bunnies, no more missing 3s, let's value the ball, let's kill kill kill 'em all. Whether it's 16th, 11th - kill whoever gets in our way!!
Like CS said, let's show them how #1 seed play & win it all!
Rock Chalk!

I have mixed feelings about my Jayhawks. On one hand, I am a nervous about KU getting out of Kansas City. But on the other hand, with the right situations, I could see KU going all the way. Look at the past. KU has always struggled with the nobody's, Bucknell, Bradley, VCU. Thankfully, TCU isn't in the tournament. Notice we will probably have to play VCU because this crappy little team from Virginia always seems to play out of their jock-straps come tournament time. Wichita State beat them on their home court earlier this year. I think Roy may get surprised by the supernova. I may be fearless but I'm feeling a little on edge. No matter what, I'm putting my trust in Bill Self to hopefully get his much deserved second national championship.

Fearless, just a couple quick questions. If the table were turned and we weren't Kansas, would you consider your evaluation ample bulletin board material? If you were from a school that hadn't had the success the Jayhawks have had would you read your post and say,"gosh, that guy comes from a real class fan base that appreciates and respects all program's". If these team's were "nobody's", we wouldn't have lost to them in the first place. Coach Self constantly shows class by not engaging
the media like some coaches that whine about everything after a lose.
Would you consider doing the same thing? "Take care of the ball and we
can win it all".

VCU, a nobody??? Right. I do think Michigan will have a remedy for havoc, but make no mistake, VCU is a quality team. Bring them all on, I want to see this team play 6 more games like every other KU fan. I wouldn't call any team a nobody after some of the "upsets" this season.

I don't think you know a lot about basletball, pertaining to talent. It has been a while, but I think Bucknell had to beat Pittsburg (in the Pit), when Pittsburg was good, so they had talent, and could play under pressure. I believe Bradley had a 7 footer, whom K.U. had no answer for (they NCAA loves making those kinds of matchups). And VCU, I think beat a great Florida State team, to be able to play us (I was at the games--I think it was FSU), and FSU had a monster team. Also VCU was super athletic, played great defense (all year long), and shot extremely well. That being said, every team is dangerous in a one game series.

Teleconf just over for Bill & was on Brando show min before. Said he asked his team last night if they knew who was the greatest player in WKY history??? Rather tongue in cheek his reply-none other than coach KT. Games are not a gimmee now so the extra prep will be good with possibly NC out there in the bushes. We matchup good with them, but Villanova may very well be our opponent. They've nailed teams of Pitino, Boheim, and Thompson in the Big East. NC struggled badly in ACC & perhaps Jay Wright has a payback for Kansas in mind...no doubt he does. Morris twins, Chalmers, etc. Assistant coaches are key players in this tournament prep so get that mojo fired up again Kurtis, UDAMAN!

So Jamal Crook wants payback on E.J. Well, Iowa State wanted payback on K.U., too. I think as the game goes on, he will be a very frustrated young man, and all of his confidense will be gone, and he will be thinking "I wish I wouldn't have said that"! Iowa State will tell you: Be Careful What You Wish For!!!!!!! Especially when it comes to playing the Kansas Jayhawks!

So......I tell my 3 year old daughter that KU is playing a team called the "Hilltoppers".....She giggled and said "That's silly"........This while she is sitting at her play table trying to pull on the buckled,gold shoe of her stuffed Baby Jayhawk.

Some irony there....but I just let it go and agreed with her. You have to love mascots.....especially Jayhawks!!